


Glass Half Empty

by heartofagamotto



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Alcohol, Confession, F/M, Jealous Bucky, Protective Bucky, small amount of Angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-03
Updated: 2020-04-03
Packaged: 2021-03-01 03:33:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,191
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23458639
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/heartofagamotto/pseuds/heartofagamotto
Summary: Bucky Barnes always hated it when you drank, but it isn't until tonight that you realize why.
Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes/Reader
Comments: 2
Kudos: 60





	Glass Half Empty

You swore up and down that you could hold yourself when drinking, but others among the Avengers didn’t think the same. In particular, a tall and brooding super soldier seemed to make it his life mission to make sure you never had a good time at Mr. Stark’s parties. His gaze was always looming and his physical presence came after. There had always been tension among the Avengers, Tony and Steve always seemed to get into debates over the aspects of freedom and what was and wasn’t part of their job description. Bruce would sometimes get irritated when a certain young spiderling would come over and forget to pick up after himself. Most of this tension however was resolved if not instantly, in only a few hours or so. 

But the energy felt between you and Bucky Barnes was on another level. You were friends, very close friends in fact. Aside from Steve, you were probably the one he went to the most for advice, whether that be to ease his culture shock, or to engage in a friendly sparring match. All was fine and dandy, except when it came to drinking. You wouldn’t escape, and tonight was no exception. 

Less than an hour into the party you had snuck a few shots in and was now babysitting your Tom Collins while listening to Peter talk about this girl from school that he liked. Peter obviously wasn’t allowed to drink, and he wasn’t the type of kid to sneak any alcohol, even if most of the people at this party would have turned their heads at the sight. He was a good kid, and you appreciate him for that. 

“She sounds like a cool girl, Pete-” You start before you feel him behind you. It’s Bucky of course. Your reflexes are normally better, but with alcohol in your system and enough time to make you just a little bit more than tipsy, you couldn’t pull your hand away in time before he stole your glass. You glare at Bucky. “What the fuck?” 

“Drinking is bad for you Parker, especially for young ladies.” Bucky put a hand on your waist before downing the rest of your drink himself. You scoffed at him. 

“Didn’t you say-” Peter looked confused before you cut him off. 

“Douchey super soldiers can’t get drunk.” You say, pushing Bucky away. “I’ll talk to you later, Peter. Get home safe, kid.” You bid him a farewell before feverishly walking out to the balcony, leaving both super powered men behind. 

Your body felt warm from both the alcohol and the anger that was festering in your chest. He was always like this, looking after you, stepping in when he didn’t need to. It made you want to punch a hole through the glass. But instead you sat on the floor of the balcony, letting your legs dangle over the edge through the railing. The cool breeze of the brisk New York City night made your skin tingle underneath your jeans. 

The door to the balcony opened, but you didn’t look up. You didn’t want to talk to anyone, especially not Bucky. But he made his way over like he always did, sitting down next to you, his back against the railing. You remain silent, your head was fuzzy from all the drinks, you wouldn’t even know where to start. 

“You’re mad at me.” Bucky said. 

Something switched in your brain, making you raise your voice. “Yes! I’m mad at you!” You turned to him, glaring, all the tension releasing at once. “You treat me like a child, Barnes. Sure, I’m extremely young compared to you, but I’m just as mature. I’m not an idiot. I can have a drink when I want to. What’s your fucking problem? You do this every single time Tony has a party.” 

Bucky didn’t flinch at your words, he had expected worse actually. His heart was still pounding in his chest though. “It always starts like this… doesn’t it? It’s fun at first, when you drink. You open up a lot, you get everyone laughing and having a good time… And then what? After two hours I can never fucking find you.. You..” He clenched his fists, trying to keep his temper in check. He didn’t usually get upset about things. But when it came to you, it was different. “You run off, especially when we go out into the city, sometimes ending up spending the night with random guys-”

“Why do you care what I do, Bucky? Especially with other guys, you’re not my fucking boyfriend!” You stood up, having had enough of it. You walk toward the door, holding your hand out to open it before you’re pulled back. Bucky turned you around. You wobbled, feeling dizzy from the alcohol. But you looked up, seeing tears in his eyes. What… he was crying? All the anger drained from you and you stood there numb as he held you. 

“I care because I’ve been fucking in love with you for more than a year and every time I see you like this, defenseless, hooking up with these disgusting men it feels like my heart is getting ripped out of my chest.” Bucky grits his teeth, looking away from you, tears streaming down his face. Maybe there had been more tension than you had noticed. You felt like an idiot. But your brain was still foggy, what if this was all a dream? You don’t say anything and just let him continue. “I could of had you, I could have taken advantage of you time and time again, but what kind of person would that make me? Just as bad as the rest of them.” His hands moved, cupping your face. He pulled you closer, your noses almost bumping into each other. 

Bucky was so warm, and that was something else that you hadn’t noticed until tonight. He felt nice and comforting, even with the coolness of his metal arm pressed against your skin. You felt protected… and maybe that’s what he had wanted this entire time. You opened your mouth to say something, but before anything came out, the door to the balcony opened. 

“Uh… Hey guys, don’t mean to interrupt…” Tony stood in the doorway, his body language stiff, just realizing that he had stepped in at a bad moment. “Catering’s here. Just wanted to let you guys know um… go ahead and proceed.” He vanished in a blink of an eye, shutting the curtains after he shut the door. 

You let out a sigh, pulling away from Bucky, which made you feel oddly cold again. You look down at your feet awkwardly. “It’s chicken from that place you like down the street… We should uh.. Head in before Steve eats half of it.” Despite your body feeling cold your cheeks were on fire. 

“Yeah… guess we should.” Bucky said softly, opening the door. 

Quickly you grab his hand before he can step inside, smiling sheepishly. He looks confused. 

“W-we… can watch a movie in your room after dinner.” You squeeze his hand.

Bucky chuckled, nodding his head. “Yeah, I’d like that, doll.” 

**Author's Note:**

> This was a very short one from a request I received on tumblr from my lovely friend Sam. I hope you guys enjoyed it. Feel free to leave a kudos and comment if you'd like. You are all beautiful people!
> 
> Come follow me on tumblr @star-spangled-beard-burn ! 
> 
> xoxo


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